Dbying appabatus



F. W. ADLOF.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPucATloN HLED MAR. 1. 191e.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

INVENTOR W/T/VESSES ATTORNEYS D `'STAi FREDERICK W. ADLOF, or NIIw BRIGHTQN, rENNsYLvANIA.

DRYING APPARATUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea March '1, 1916. serialNa 231,373.`

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. ADnoF,

a citizen of the United States, and` a resi to improve and .simplify the construction and operation of apparatus of the character referred to so as to be reliable and eiiicient .in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive .to manufacture and keep inoperative condition, and so designed as to have a large capacity in a relatively small space.

A more specific object of the linvention is the provision of a drying apparatus having a novel arrangement of passages orducts for the material to be dried and for the products of combustion from the drying furnace, whereby the material is kept out of contact with the fire gases, which is especially deilrable for the drying of grains and the More in detail the invention has vfor itsr objects to provide a drying apparatus composed of three tubes or stacks arranged concentrically one within the other, the space between the, inner and intermediate stack being divided by helical flanges into alternate fire lues and drying ducts, whereby the material is effectively acted on yby heat fromv all points, since the lire gases pass upwardly through the inner tube or stack, downwardly through the spiral passages alternating with the passages for the material to be dried, and upwardly through the space between the outer and intermediate stacks, and in connection with such structure, means will be provided for regulating the feeding of the material to be dried and the dra through the ire gas conduit.

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as Ithe description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with par- Iticularty in the following description and claims'appe'nded hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus with portions in elevation; Fig. 2 `Is a' plan view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are transversek sections respectively on the line 3 3, 4 4, 5;-5 and 6-6, Fig. 1.

rammed. aug. s, 1ere.

Referring tothe drawing, 1 designates a furnace `of any approved construction which forms thef supporting base for the stacks or tubes 2, 3 and 4 which are arranged concentrically one within the other and are vertical. These stacks are preferably made of sections connected end to end, whereby the total height of the apparatus may be varied to suit requirements. The inner tube or stack2 is inlopen communication with the ire chamber a of the furnace 1, and

- the lire gases freely ascend to the top of the stack 2, which is formed into an `enlargement A5 surmounted bya conical hood or deflector 6, there being openings 7 at opposite sides in the head or enlargement 5 for permitting the fire gases to pass out of the inner stack. The space between the inner and intermediate stacks or tubes 2 vand 3 is divided into a plurality of passages 8 and 9 separated by helical flanges or ribs10, the passages 8 being in communication with the respective openings 7 whereby the fire gases will flow downwardly through the passages 8 to the bottom of the apparatus and pass through vopenings 11 in the intermediate tube 8 to the spaceorflue 12 lying between the outer and intermediate stacks, such space being in free open communication to the atmosphere at the top 13. It will thus be seen that the re gases in transit from the furnace -1 to the atmosphere flow first upwardly in a straight line, dividing at the top, and

'flowing downwardly in helical vertical courses in the passages 8, and thence upwardly through the passage 12. The ducts moisture evaporated therefrom. The lower ends of the passages 9 terminate in spouts 14 which extend out through the outer stack for the discharge of the dried material.

The material is fed into the contracted mouth 15 on the top of the intermediate stack and surrounding the conical deflector 6. A screen 16 is provided inthe mouth section 15, and under the screen are slide valves 17 for regulating the low of the ma. terial down the passages 9. Over the openings 7 of the inner stack are flanges 18 forv preventing the material from vpassing into the openings and guiding the materialinto the .passages 9. For'regulating the heat a damper 19 is arranged in the upper .end of the inner stack 2. To facilitate the eX- traction of the vapor an outlet pipe 20 is provided within the outermost stack 4, and this pipe has connections 21 with the passages 9 at different points, and the bottom of the pipe is provided with a valve 22 from which the va or may be drawn off.

F rom the oregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A drying apparatus comprising three concentric tubes, means for supplying fire gases to the bottom of the inner tube, helical flanges between the inner and intermediate tubes dividing the space into alternate helical heating and drying passages, said heating passages having their upper ends communicating with the top of the inner tube to receive the fire gases therefrom, means for supplying to the upper end of the drying passages the material to be dried, and means for conducting the fire gases from the heating passages to the bottom of the outer tube,

the outer tube having its upper end open to the atmosphere.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a furvalve means for controlling the feed of the material from the mouth to the communicating passages, althlrd tube surrounding the second-mentioned tube to form a passage open to the atmosphere at its top and communicating with the passages that communicate with the inner tube, and an outlet means passing out of the bottom of the outer tube for the discharge of the material after being dried.

3. A drying apparatus comprising a furnace, a structure having separate portions through which fireV gases from the furnace pass 'upwardly to a given point and thence downwardly and thence upwardly to escape to the atmosphere, and a plurality of material-drying ducts disposed in that portion of the structure down which the fire gases flow, said ducts being. heated throughout their length and entirely around the sides thereof.

4:. A drying apparatus comprising a furnace, a structure having separate portions through which re gases from the furnace pass upwardly to a given point and thence downwardly and thence upwardly to escape to the atmosphere, a plurality of materialdrying ducts disposed in that portion of the structure down which the lire gases flow,

said ducts being heated throughout their length and entirely around the sides thereof, means for regulating the feed of the material to the said ducts, means for controlling the draft through the said structure, and means for drawing oft' the evaporations from the material passing through the ducts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. ADLOF.

Witnesses:

E. H. WARD, E. W. MARTsoLP. 

